Destiny Does Not Send Us Heralds
by James Parry
Summary: "Lyarra Snow does not believe in, Gods, Destiny or Prophecy. As for omens. There is no such thing as an omen. Destiny does not send us heralds. She is too wise or too cruel for that. Right?
1. Chapter 1

**1\. Rewinding The Wheel.**

_"Sansa Stark, Queen in the north, You stand accused of attempted murder, you stand accused of treason, against Crown and kin. The penalty for your crimes is death."_

With the last member of his pack about to be struck down, the Chained Wolf snarled, as he fought harder then he had in a long time , against the spell binding him to the three eyed Raven, but he cannot get free, every time he makes some progress he is instantly sucked back and pressed to the tapestry of time beneath him, above him, in front of him, behind him, surrounding him on all side.

No End.

No beginning.

A prisoner.

Forced to follow the threads of time and watch as the world turned so very cold and so very dark, as blood flowed and blue fire burned the living and ice quelled screams and returned the dead, as the last of his surviving pack scattered to the winds, and darkness started to creep on his view of the past, present and future.

Sharp pain bit into his skin, Sansa was suddenly before him the same dagger that had almost taken his life long ago in her hands tearing open the flesh, where the Night King had marked him, serving as an anchor to the body of Brandon Stark once more, the stillness, pain and magic of the wound for a moment drawing forth the part of him that used to be the boy so loved by his family. Granting him the control he had lost so many years ago.

What a beautiful terribly lonely thing forever had been, was the first coherent thought in Brans Mind, It was dizzying finding himself again and he frantically tried to hang on, tried to find his way around the chaos. Find a way around the voices and an endless loop of memories from before and yet to come.

He was-

He was.

_BRANDON STARK!_

_Bran! If there is any part of you that's still in there brother. Fight, Bran! Fight ! _

_He was trying... but it was so hard._

_The Three eyed Ravens was so much stronger then him. _

Still he Tried to take what he knew, to figure out where it had all gone wrong, make out some meaning and maybe, dear gods, maybe he could undo it, stop it from ever happening while he still had time.

His mind suddenly recalled the tower of joy, how his father had responded to his call.

More images came to him and he began to think deeply while he was still in control,he had to come up with a way to save them all from himself now.

He thought hard about what to do to help not only his family, but the souls consumed by the war of the five kings, the long night, the reign of the three eyed raven and after a many moments of contemplation, an answer appeared before him in the flames that sprung to life surrounding him and in them he saw a fledgling dragon on her precipice. Not yet living, nor dead. The beginning of an idea came to him.

He nodded to himself and transported his his mind to beginning again.

This was it! This was what he had missed before due to the brutal onslaught of memories imprinted into his mind by the blood Ravens take over.

Yes, that could work.

What had Master lewen said about war. His voice creaking, but steady filled his ears suddenly as if he was right there with him.

_In times of war. A single grane of rice can tip the scales. _

_One soul could be the difference between victory and defeat. Lord Brandon remember that._

And before him was the soul he sought.

In saving this one soul, he could alter the fate of thousands.

He wished there was a way to save everyone, but there would still be losses. One great loss he couldn't risk changing was before him now, because he could see where preventing his Aunt Lyanna's death led.

The destruction of house Stark all over again by Robert Baratheon hand.

But maybe he could save the daughter and earn her forgiveness that way.

There had been two children born at the tower of joy, not one.

The first born had been a girl. A creature not only born of magic, but with magic. So Powerful, it burned bright like the sun.

In the tower again Bran made his way to the cradle in which the fledgling she dragon lay still and almost unmoving but for the Rapid and irregular breathes pulling the tiny chest in at the ribs, below the breastbone, and above the collarbones, her tiny lungs unable to take in air.

The wet nurse Wylla in her haste to bring Jon into the world and stop his aunt Lyannas bleeding had not noticed that the girl babes airways had not been cleared and the she dragon child would die in seconds as she had before Brans farther arrived again if not helped.

He knew what to do now.

He would not allow the child to die or history to repeat it self.

For the humanity to survive the long night. The dragon need three heads.

The pact of fire and ice had to be reconstituted and tied together by blood.

He reached out to bind the mind of the wet nurse Wylla to his will. Moving her body as his own he reaches for the girl child and tilts the babes head back gently, seal his mouth over her mouth and nose. Blows five times into the baby, until finally the child cries out a fierce cry.

A pair of violet eyes open and darkness retreats in defeat.

He looked to what had changed and what hadn't and smiled.

Everything was so much brighter now.

Caw! CAW! What have you done? Cawed a Three Eyed Ravens from the window sills of the tower before they flew at him and beat their wings angrily at him.

"What had to be done to make sure you never win! Bran shouted using his body to shield the fledgling dragon away from the flock of angry ravens digging their talons-and beaks into his flesh, keeping some distance between them.

Only to see the she dragons eyes flash gold and The Ravens fly backwards as if attacked by an invisible force, throwing the winged creates so hard into the tower wall that they fell boneless on the floor and stared at the she dragon in horror, before flying away, cawing darkly.

He stared down at his little protector in awe and smiled with joy he had been incapable of feeling in many a years.

A true protecter of the realm she would be.

But the balance had to be maintained.

And only death may pay for life.

Bran can now feel his leaving him as recompense and with little time he has left Branden Stark transferred all that he had been witness to on to the child's mind. The memories to be unlocked when the she dragons magic deemed it was time.

The brand of the Night King too now her burden to bare.

_888_

Lyarra Snow awoke with a jerk, breath and heart racing, a strange and familiar pain emanating from her hand shaped birthmark.  
The scent of roses, blood and fear imprinted on her mind.  
The words. Pr_omise me! Ringing _in her ears.

This was the fifth time she'd had that dream in the past week. And every night it was the same, except, this time she had seen a boy she could have sworn was her brother Bran, his face a few years older and bathed in blood.

The wind outside her chambers howled and roared. It sounded as if wolves and lions were at war.

Unease twisted her stomach and panic blurs her vision as her hand clutch the material of her nightdress. She stared around her small shabby room, with its second hand furniture and piles of books and papers strewn everywhere half expecting the older Bran to be there, staring down at her as he had been in her dream. The moon shone in through her thin bed curtains, the shadows they cast on the floor letting Lyarra know it was a lot earlier than her usual wake up time.

still she cautiously and more than a little ungracefully tumbled out of her small bed and made her way to the window and threw the shutters open carelessly and with all of her strength, only to cringe at the loud bang it made in the silent castle.

Lyarra shivered at the cold, moved away from the window and swiftly and silently dressed, put her winter boots on her feet and cloak around her shoulders and walked out of her room as quietly as she could so as not to wake Jon in the room next door.

She would not get any peace in her room, so she was going to the only place she felt at home in winterfell.

The Library tower.

As Lyarra made her way across the courtyard towards the tower the burning of her hand shaped birthmark increased, so much so that she faltered in her steps more then once.

The cold sips into her bones.

The winds whispered in her ears Winter is coming.

If she were anyone else Lyarra would think the strange happenings around her lately to be ill omens foreshadowing impending doom.

But Lyarra Snow does not believe in, Gods, Destiny or Prophecy. As for omens. There is no such thing as an omen. Destiny does not send us heralds. She is too wise or too cruel for that. Right?

888

Deep in the North beyond the wall in the lands of always winter the ice shifted and cracked then a a pair of inhuman blue eyes snapped open.

The Night King had woken up from his centuries long sleep, ready to make the world of the living weep in fear.


	2. Chapter 2

**2\. Awaking The Dragon.**

Lady Stark isn't very smart. But Lyarra is. She's smarter than half of the people in Winterfell. Or even in all of North. Of course she's never been any further than the borders of Winter town, and so she can only assume she is. And she thinks about it all the time. Leaving that is; just to find out for sure who else is out there. She wants to know what the world has to offer her when this hell-whole of a castle Her father, Lord Stark calls home only offers her misery. Lyarra admits to being wild like a caged animal. Hell, she's a Stark even if her last name isn't. It comes with the territory. It's probably why outside her siblings she can't identify with all the other kids her age. She likes to act out when Lady Stark pushes her too far. She's not Jon. Who puts his head down and walks away in shame. Just one word about her Unknown mother is all it takes these days, and she knows that.

Lyarra Snow is already a thirteen-year-old delinquent because of that trout.

Can't be helped, really. Puberty is taking over, pumping unbridled adrenaline and hormones through her veins. She's bleeding from places she'd rather not bleed from and has no one to talk about it to. The anger from absent mother or even mother figure of any kind curls deep within her and drives her to lash out at the world, trying to serve back the unfair hand in life she's been dealt. It's so goddamn unfair sometimes. As she gets older, she gets angrier, more questioning. Why did her father have to take her and Jon from their mother? Why did her mother leave her and Jon behind? Why in the seven hells was she cursed with a face so like Lyanna Starks, a women she barely knew, because her father refused to talk about her? Often even refusing to look at Lyarra unless given reason to, because of how much she reminded him of her.

Sometimes Lyarra would like to believe that maybe there was pride on his face when her Lord Father saw her in her dark blue tunic and breaches, rolling around on the ground, throwing untamed punches at Theon, the ward who can not keep his goddamn hands to himself, in the middle of training yard for all to see; trying to prove herself (to them) that's she not just some pretty bastrerd girl who will tolerates being pawed on like some whore, just because she wasn't true born.

Maybe even a trace of the love he must have felt for the women he tainted his honour for, when Lyarra practically devoured her reading matirls forcing Maester Luwin to speed up her learning by moons upon moons and years upon years until she surpasses Mater Lewin in his knowledge of the healing arts and more, or picks up old parts from the junkyard so that she can start putting together some mode of transportation for herself. When she was seven she had made her own glissade shoes, they resembled boots but had flat blades attached to the sole of the boots that allowed her slide and move faster on snow, they were inspired by an old sketch she found in one of Winterfell history records.

When she was ten, the evolvement of the skating blades resulted in the discovery of patent that highlighted the use of blowing air, scrap and limestone and when integrated into a large kiln as better more efficient way to melt and manipulate metallic aloes and glass, she sold the patent to the highest bidder (which turned out to be Tywin Lannister, despite her reluctance to sell her patent to man like him. She was smart enough to know that if he didn't get it from her, he would take it from whatever buyer she sold it too, and not even under the aliases _Pen Draig_ she had been cultivated since she began disturbing the folk of Wintertown not permitted or unwilling to inside enter the castle walls with medicine and medical care for a fee they could afford, would she be safe if Tywin Lannister felt slight by her.

So she sold him the patent, but withheld certain key factors, such as how to make the steal lighter and yet more durable, should the man ever prove himself an enemy of the north they would still have the advantage in the field of war. And now with that small fortune she was working on building her own ship. The building for it is a little early. She wont be able to set sail with it tills she's sixteen, but she'd rather start now and have something to look forward to. Two more years and shell be free to chart her own cores in life. Time enough to convince Jon to abandon his plans to join the nights watch, she hopes.

If shes successfully in keep all that she has been doing behind her Lord fathers back hidden for a few more years that is.

Because the older she grows and the more Lyarra thought on these things however, the more she realises that the look of pride is always mingled with apprehension and the love with outright fear when she meets his stark grey orbs with her own dark violet, the one trait she must have inherited from the mother she has never known. The more thought Lyarra gave to her Lord Fathers reaction to her, the less at ease with not knowing her mothers name she felt. She's smarter then Lady Stark, her mind is not clouded by petty jealousies or plagued by insecurities. It hasn't taken her long to figure out that there is something dangerous about her mothers identity, when she unlike Jon , asks her Lord father for a name year after year and each year he refuses to answer her.

She sometimes thinks that it might have something to do with the magic she's been able to wield since she was a babe. But, she's hundred percent sure her Lord father is not aware of the power she possess.

The only other soul who knew that secret was the other half of hers and would never betray her, for he was her blood, her brother, her twin Jon.

Unlike Jon she has never been as emotionally affected by her status of basterd. It means outside her siblings, she's not beholden to her house, anything or anyone in winterfell, it means when the time comes she can just pack up and leave. It means she'll not be sold like a prised pony, or as breeder for the next generation and the next. She was fine with being Lyarra Snow. It was a good strong name to have, despite the lack of title. It didn't matter.

At least her Lord father had the good sense not to name her Lyanna. Not that she had anything against her aunt. But People to often took one look at her pretty pale skin, the long Cole-colored hair, her dark brow and oval shaped face, and fawn all over her and comment how much she resembled her aunt. Then she'll open those pouty pink lips, to full and shapely to belong to a Stark, reveal just a little of her genius, and crush them, right along with their idiotic preconceived notions and send them scurrying away like prey before a predator.

She looks like a child. But she doesn't act like one. Her eyes are to knowing. Her mind and tongue to sharp for someone her age. Even with the tight grip on her magic , she radiates a sense of power that often unsettled those around her.

Maybe that's why when she not with her siblings she finds herself in her own company instead of the company of others. Lyarra will spend hours sitting on top of the roof of the Library while Lady Stark spins herself into a stupor. As she thumps around in the library tower, cursing and knocking over books, probably looking for her, her personal punching bag for some imagined spite or other.

She'll lie back on that roof and ignore all the angered shouts and nasty little barbs she tries to use to goad her into coming out so she can have some release of the poison that has build and build inside her all these years. Sometimes Lyarra pitied Lady stark.

Most of the time not.

The old trout was the author of her own unhappiness as far as Lyarra is concerned.

The libery tower is her faveriot escape from her and others.

She'll let down her hair up here, literally as well as metaphorically, because it's the only place where she feels comfortable. She knows it's strange to wear your hair in a braide all the time, at least, that's what all the other girls say. They don't understand, and often say that if they had 'such nice long hair', they'd do all sorts of things with it. Lyarra doesn't. She can't explain why she refuses to let her hair down in the presence of others, or why she keeps it in the same loose braid everyday. Probably one of those defense mechanisms she's read about. She does like to read, to learn.

She refuses to limit herself to knowing only one trade. She's mostly self-taught anyway, master Luwin having run out of things to teach her months ago. Sometimes she spends hours at the library after finishing the task assigned to her by the trout, just so she won't have to go home right away, and just read.

She'll read and read so that when she's forced to come home, she'll have hours of subject matter to think about, to distract her when she eats whatever slop of food Lady Stark is kind enough to allow her and her brother. Then, once Jon is satisfied that she'd eaten enough, she'll quickly make her way up to the roof. She'll lay back and watch the moon and stars, the winter wind and snow battle for dominion of the night sky, feeling a twinge in her heart because it only in these moments that she feel like really belongs in Winterfell. Outside these moments all she wants to do is float away form Winterfell, lady Stark, her septa Mordane, Lord Starks silence and indifference. Maybe somewhere up there, her mother can be found. It's wishful thinking; she knows the truth of it all. Lady Stark never lets her forget that she's unwanted. Unwanted even more so then Jon if Lord Starks aversion to her is anything to go by..

So she can't be blamed for thinking her happiness lies outside of Winterfell and the north altogether.

_**Crash**_.

The books shed piled stretigacly on the dark left hand corner table buy the tower door alarming her to Lady Stark oncoming presence.

_"…you hiding at girl? Come out here this instant!"_

_**Thump. Thump. Crash.**_

Another pile she placed in the floor three feet from the door. Knowing the Lady trouts pension for walking with her nose in the air.

Lyarra sighs and rolls over onto her side as her Lord fathers wife breaks through the haze of her thoughts. The wind picks up a little and plays with the long waves of her dark hair, sometimes pushing it over her cheek and towards the corner of eyes like a vale. She kind of hopes Lady Stark will trip and crack her head open on a piece of furniture. She doesn't wish for her to die, no, unfortunately she is still the mother of her siblings, she would never wish that kind of pain on them. She just wants her incapacitated for a day...or two.

CRASH

"_Lady Stark may I be of assistant "Master Luwin voice reaches Lyarras ears, he must have shown not long after lady_

_Stark long winded rant._

" _As a matter of fact you can Master Luwin, _A few sons of minor houses in the _north will arrive tonight, I want the the girl in the great hall tomorrow to meet them. Among them will be the only son of House Elliver, a practically extinct vassal house, Distant relative of Lady Dustin late husband and a two second son from miner houses, Whitehill and Warrick. Make sure she's aware so she knows to address them properly, when she emerges from what ever hole she has crawled in. For one of them shall be her future husband. _

"…. _Lady Stark, the girl is young, wouldn't be better if she married in a few years when she has matured and learned restraint. Surly any husband she is tied to will not take well her rebellious nature or treat her kindly for it."_

"_That is of no concerns to me Master Luwin! She is not my daughter!" Lady stark announced harshly, _unstirred by the Masters plea, he was fond of the girl Bastard she knew." If her her future betrothed beats her bloody, then it's not more then she deserves for being what she is."

"Lady Stark, I beseech yo-" Master Lewen with only the smallest sign of struggle strived once more to speak on Lyarras behalf only to be soundly silenced by Lady Stark.

" _I'll not have her stay and try to seduce my sons like she did the Bolton boy Domeric or take from my daughters. She will never be a Stark, will never by a true Lady, she is the product of sin, of my husbands lust for a women who was not his wife, the girl and her brother will always be just nameless bastards. The sooner the both of them are gone the better. " _

CRASH.

Lyarrra sits up immediately, no longer able to ignore her raving stepmother. She wouldn't dare. She wouldn't dare.

CRASH.

And then Lyarra remembers all those times, all those strange faces that came and went. All of them huddled around her fathers dinner hall and wherever she went, gazes assessing, as if sizing the worth of her. Lyarra hadn't thought much of it at the time. Thought her stupid stepmother was just mouthing off about how Lyarra was foulest stain in the north. It happened a lot. She does it all the time. With her, with the her brother, with anything that can make her seem less of a worthless pile of garbage she is. Lady Starks was only thought worthy of the tile be very few in the north and equally few in Winterfell and Lyarra just happens to be one of those few.

**THUMPTHUMPCRASH.**

"_Lady Stark, as I have explained to you and Lord stark, the young Lord did what he did out friendship nothing more."_

"_A man dose not beat another for friendship."_

"_My lady the stable boy was overheard speaking about his intentions to take liberties of Lyarra, while she was alone and unguarded in the library tower."_

"_Even more reason to marry her off, the girl must have foolishly encouraged his attention in some way. "_

_A mute silence meet her unforgiving and cruel statement._

"_My Lord husband too finally agreed to make her a match now that she's bled, it would really be for the best. More then likely he thinks the same way as I do. That her sinful nature will out and she will shame herself and house Stark if she has no husband to keep her in check."_

**CRASH. THUMP. THUMP**.

Ice cold fire and rage, so much rage flutters through her veins. The hateful bitch has gone too far this time. Too far.

When Lady Stark finally departs from the library crumbling the whole way, Lyarra spends the rest of the night cleaning the library of all evidence of the traps she had set up for lady Stark to trip on and plotting.

So really, she can't be blamed when she rises with the sun the next morning,

Swipes Lady Stark house household keys and makes a identical copy's of them with her magic so that even Master Luwin if asked to examine them wouldn't be able to tell the fake from the originals set she was stealing and locks the self proclaimed suitors inside their chambers rusts the locks up and throws the keys in the Horse shit yet to be cleared outlet of the stables and hops on her gifted filly. Before she knows it, she's whipping towards the gods wood's. Minutes later Lady Stark seems to shake herself into consciousness and realised what's happened. Lyarra still within close enough distance to here her calls for a servant to help find her keys, cursing her and yelling all sorts of unspeakable things.

She was probably going to get whipped for this. Lyarra knows she will, but cuts off that line of thought and cackles gleefully and listens as chaos explodes.

Up ahead is her brother, his eyes and mouth opened wide in the universal sign of astonishment. Lyarra grins, waving and laughing out an almost maniacal 'Hey Jonny-boy!' as she swerves past him. She glances back his dumbfounded expression just once before She just whips Roan a hard right and continues further towards the gods woods.

She's on the other-side when it's happens.

Right before she reached base of the hill though, her head exploded in pain. Before she could even scream, her mind filled with sounds and colors which flew by faster than she could process them.

When her world stop spinning she is no longer in Winterfell, but staring up at a massive wall of ice _Almost seven hundred feet high, three times the height of any tower she had seen in winterfell. The gaunt outlines of huge catapults and monstrous wooden cranes stood sentry up there, like the skeletons of great birds, and among them walked men in black as small as ants._

_Only a short distance from where she stand utterly confused and utterly uneasy with her new surroundings, another group of them stand in a circle huddled together around someone or something. _

_They don't seem to be aware of her presence and she's not sure if it would be smart make them aware. It's clear she's somehow ended up at the wall and that these men were men of the night watch. But that didn't mean they were good men. She's about to slink away in the shadows when she hears the tell tale sound of foot steps on snow. _

She looks up at the scaffolding and see a face that is as familiar to her as he own staring down at her.

He face is older, hairier, and she supposed he was even slightly taller. She doesn't know how it was possible that before her stood a man of ten and nine summers, when only moments ago there had been a boy of ten and three and she doesn't care. He is her twin and one look at the kind and gentle eyes of her brother is all she needs to know that.

Her brother Jon rushes down the steps of the staircase to the ground. He is met by Older man who's ferret appearance and shifty expression set of alarm bells in Lyarras head.

Jon is walking in her direction and Lyarra moves out of the Shadows into his path "Jon!" She calls out to him in relief.

Only for both her twin and his companion to walk through her like she's not even there.

Unseen and unheard

"JON!" She spun and reached out her hand to halt his progress, only for her hand to be left grasping thin air.

"Man says he saw your uncle at Hardhome the last full moon." Lyarra hears ser Cucuface or whatever his name is say. But she's too distressed and baffled by her current state of transparency to understand what the hell he was talking about.

She follows closely behind her brother trying desperately to grab a hold of him, only to fail again and again.

It's only when her twin passes the the group of men she had seen earlier and holts abruptly, that she stops trying and looks up to see the words TRAITOR carved on a post, she turns in sync with her brother to see he is cornered.

"Oh god it's a trap." Lyarras realises, and a chilli feeling seeps into her bones.

Before she can blink her brothers companion stabs him in the gut.

"_NO!" She screams and jumps between them to shield her brother, but again it like she's not there and the blade is buried in her brothers chest. _

"For the Watch."

She hears the words clearly from the murderer before he steps back and another takes his place.

_NO! NO NO NO NO! PLEASE STOP! _

"For the Watch."

"For the Watch." It was said by not one singular voice but multiple different male voices all of which she had never heard before and doesn't know, but she memories every inch of them faces so when sees them again, she will recognise them and show them what it feels like to have their hearts pulled out of their chest, as hers was by them with each blow they deliver upon her brother.

Each time she hears them, sharp pain blossomed in her chest, over and over again.

"For the watch." Her twin screams in agony and she screams with him, but no one hears him or her.

"For the watch." Why were they doing this?

"For the Watch." Why?

Jon falls to his knees, struggling but still alive. And she falls with him trying to hold, to touch his face but to no avail.

NO! JON NO! PLEASE DON'T DIE. DON'T LEAVE ME!" she begs and begs, but its no use she knows her plea's have fallen on death ears.

After what seem like forever, the voices and the stabbing finally stop and she thinks her brothers torment it finally over. When a young boy only a bit younger then herself walks up to Jon.

"Olly…" her brother croaks out the name with such pain.

Then the boy too stabs him, this time the knife strikes her brothers heart. And something in Lyarra breaks, shes wailing and shaking all over, unmerciful rage flutters through her veins, she feels the magic explode from her body to strike the men down but it passes through them like they're not there.

She looks at the murderers, with burning bright gold eyes that should have set the pathetic excuse for human beings before her aflame and doesn't understand, her magic has never failed her before.

"For the Watch." The boy whispers

Face red and blotchy with tears and she never hated anyone as much as much as she does this boy.

Jon still stays on his knees, then falls backwards. The Brothers walk away from him. Lyarra watches as the light fades from her from her brothers eyes until She is knee deep in a puddle of her twins blood. She watches, until red is all she can see before her vision blurs and the world shift again.

This time she in the desert. A tall Tower in the distance.

And as the lies, half truths and betrayals are laid bare before her.

Lyarra knows She'll never forgive her uncle for any it.

Never.

Nothing will ever undo the horrors she has been made to bare witness to because of his supposed honour, self-righteousness and cowardice.

888

**A/N.** I want to thank all those who've taken the time to read this story and those who've added it to their favourites, I hope you keep enjoying it. My punctuality has never been all that good, but I plan to post a new chapter every week, please review, I'd love to know your thoughts on the story so far and feel free to point out if you think things can be improved or don't make sense.


	3. Chapter 3

**Previously**_**.**_

_NO!  
_

_JON NO!_

_ PLEASE DON'T DIE.  
_

_DON'T LEAVE ME!" she begs and begs, but its no use she knows her plea's have fallen on death ears._

_After what seem like forever, the voices and the stabbing finally stop and she thinks her brothers torment it finally over. When a young boy only a bit younger then herself walks up to Jon._

_"Olly…" her brother croaks out the name with such pain._

_Then the boy too stabs him, this time the knife strikes her brothers heart. And something in Lyarra breaks, shes wailing and shaking all over, unmerciful rage flutters through her veins, she feels the magic explode from her body to strike the men down but it passes through them like they're not there._

_She looks at the murderers, with burning bright gold eyes that should have set the pathetic excuse for human beings before her aflame and doesn't understand, her magic has never failed her before._

_"For the Watch." The boy whispers_

_His face is red and blotchy with tears and she never hated anyone, as much as she does this little boy._

_Jon still stays on his knees, then falls backwards. The Brothers walk away from him. Lyarra watches as the light fades from her from her brothers eyes until she is knee deep in a puddle of her twins blood. She watches, until red is all she can see before her vision blurs and the world shift again._

_This time she in the desert. A tall Tower in the distance._

_And as the lies, half truths and betrayals are laid bare before her._

_Lyarra knows She'll never forgive her uncle for any it._

_Never._

_Nothing will ever undo the horrors she has been made to bare witness to because of his supposed honour, self-righteousness and cowardice._

**1\. Blood and Snow. **

Lyarra is gone for several hours and the sons of house House Elliver, Whitehill and Warwick have long been freed from their confinements and were halfway out of winterfell, calming the kings of Winter had spoken to them and deemed them unworthy of a daughter of their blood, (something that had sent Arya into hearty unrestrained peals of Laughter).

The gate closing behind them before Father and his Lady wife realise Lyarra is gone. Jon having been the only one to see her ride out towards the gods wood before chaos had erupted in her wake and Jon was surprised no one had made the connection thus far. Between the previously trapped suitors and his sisters absence.

Or Jon should say hadn't noticed until the nine month old wild wolf of winterfell howled for his favourite pack mate and she was nowhere to be found.

Little Rickon wanted Lyarra and would settle for no one else. Attached to Lyarra as much as Arya was to him.

So, now, Jon, his half siblings, Theon, Ser Rodrick and Master Luwin stand before their lord and father.

"Maester Luwin, Jon," he addressed the two in his Lord voice, gaining the attention of all in the yard. "Can either of you tell me how our honoured guest got trapped in their chambers, why my lady wife's household keys did not work and where Lyarra is hiding?

Both master and Bastard shared a confused glance before Luwin stepped forward while Jon stayed silent, in all honesty, Jon other than knowing that her magic was somehow involved he had no idea what Lyarra had done to the locks. "It was discovered after a thorough examination by the smith and myself Lord Stark that the combination of concentrated heat in some areas eminenting from the hot spring and increase of cold air caused the locks to fill up with an icy layer which, in turn, altered the steal enough to not only blocked the key slit and but render the household keys obsolete."

Lady Stark scoffs and sneered in manner that Lyarra in Jon's place would have dubbed a piggy like snort." Off-course it's just a coincidence that the only locks affected where that of the visiting lords."

Jon would have said something to the accusations Lady Stark was hinting at, but was trying to shake off the image of a swine with Lady Starks flowing red hair in his head. It shamefully got worse when his imagination shifted and his mind conjured a mini Lyarra and Jon being chased around the yard by said piggy oinking and snorting furious like as it pursues them.

Thinking like Lyarra always lead his mind to wonder toward strange and unusual things.

"Pardon me lady Stark but that's not true" the Master contradicted" four of your ladies maids found themselves locked in their rooms as well as the two kitchen maids housed on the lower floors."

His father sent Lady Stark a look to silence her when she looked ready to continue with her accusations on sabotage and looked to his Master of Arms, Ser Rodrick

"No trace of Lyarra my Lord. We have searched all through Winterfell and were unable to find her. She may have taken her horse out for a ride, but with the other horse cut free and all these hoove marks, her path is impossible to discern."Ser Rodrick Reported and then suggested "We can send a search party to the town as well, that is, if you Like my Lord."

Jon tipped his head slightly and his curls provided enough cover that he allowed himself a small smile, Lyarra was always methodical in her schemes and plots it didn't surprise Jon at all that she had covered all her tracks.

He feels Rob who knows Lyarra just as well as him, shift by his side.

"Father, that would just be a waste of time their time, you know as well as we do that if Lyarra doesn't want be found, she won't be." Robb speaks, a frown cutting his youthful face, "And she can protect herself. I'm sure she's just fine."

"True as that may be-she will no longer be allowed to wonder where she pleases unshaparoned , she will do her duty as a daughter of House Stark and marry. It's a fate most ladies in her position would only dream of and she will not bring dishonor to herself or to our house, all because of her trivial beliefs in songs and tales. Her behaviour is unacceptable and will no longer be tolerated." Lord Stark declared.

Jon bites his tongue so hard he tastes blood.

Arya doesn't, she speaks up before father can continue, She stalked forwarded breaking the line they had made as they stood at attention before their father and Lady Stark, anger plain in her eyes, "Songs and tales. This is Lyarra! not stupid Sansa we're talking about here father! You really don't know her at all, do you! Do her duty, you say? Uphold the honor of our house? Your one to talk!

Jon observed with both pride and trepidation as all are temporarily rendered speechless by the fury in his littlest sisters voice, listening in awe as the little girl of only eight summers continued to speak his thoughts, "Am i to be sold to the highest bidder too? What honor is there in selling your daughter like some animal to be bartered away! What about your duty as a father! I wouldn't be surprised if Lyarra ran away and never came back! After you blamed her for what the perverted fuck planed to do. I know I would!"

Father's body tenses for a brief moment he looked like a man confronted by a ghost and Jon comes to the surprised conclusion that his father had not realised that in placing the blame on Lyarra shoulders for the incident with stable boy and Domeric he might push Lyarra to leave even sooner then she planed. And his sister had been planning for the day she would leave for a long time now, Jon knew the only thing keeping her here was him and their siblings too, but mostly just him. Which only proved that their father did not know Lyarra at all.

"ARYA STARK! Mind your tongue! You will not speak to your father or sister that way!Your sister's not stupid." Lady Stark practically screeched at her daughter, her outraged, breaking the stunned silence. "Septa escort Lady Arya back to her chambers, make sure she stays there until she learns the meaning of the words RESPECT, Family, duty, honor. These are my family words. I will have her understand them as well as she understand that winter must come. In any case she'll have plenty of time to learn as she also won't be needing breakfast this morning or dinner tonight."

The Septa nodded and made her way to a growling Arya, who slapped the Septa's hand away when it reached for her.

"Your families words they may be, but It's not me who needs to learn what they truly mean mother! Its you and Father!" Arya sneered derisively up at her mother. "Anyway, surely those words don't mean much. Lyarra and Jon share our blood, making them your 'family' by marriage, it doesn't stop you from treating Them like unwanted strays you want to be rid off. Honour and duty are things you both choose to implement only when it suits your purposes. These things didn't stop you from lying to Father about Lyarra encouraging the stable hand attention did they!" His little sister exclaimed with clenched fist and tearfully furies eyes

Jon saw his Father freeze and then swiftly turn to his wife who refused to meet his gaze.

But who's hand flies through the air and strikes her youngest daughter In the face.

"Lies!" Lady Stark screamed,"How dare you accuse of such things. Have you lost your senses! I am your mother and I will not tolerate your disrespect Arya Stark! I don't know what the Bastard girl has said to you. She's the one telling lies !"Lady Stark retorted angrily at her youngest daughter. "When will you learn young lady, they are Bastards! No matter what they tell you. You can't trust their words! A Bastard's words are not to be trusted!"

Jon is moving before he can think about the consequences of his actions to stand before his littlest sister like a shield.

He sees Lady Starks face curl up into one of pure anger.

"Why you, insolent brat!" the slap would have hurt no doubt, but he looked up to see his father by her side, hand wrapped around his Lady's wrist, so instead of his cheek, her hand was held in mid air.

His father had heard enough apparently. "That is enough Cat! Enough!" he demanded quietly. He didn't need to raise his voice as it lashed out like a crack silencing everyone immediately. He stared at Lady Stark, taking note of the rather mutinies look his wife held."You debase yourself with your words and actions! We will have wordslater! About this and your other misdeeds! But first , Is what Arya says true? Did you lie to me about the stable boy? Did you ever see Lyarra encouraging his advances or did you make that up?"

Lady Starks head turned towards Father in apparent surprise, truly afraid when confronted with her husband wrath for the first time, in all the years they had been married he had never raised his voice at her.

"I don't see how this matters," The trout hedged. "She's a bastard, their all sinful to the core, she must have encouraged …"

"Answer my question," Ned growled, shocking his wife with his show of anger. Clearly the the trout had no idea what she was truly in for." Did you ever see Lyarra display any behaviour that may have misled the boy to believe that his attention would be well received? Did anyone in the castle talk about such behaviour Regarding Lyarra?"

Jon observed in interest and slight in vindictiveness as Lady Stark tried to stand up to his father, tried to find a way to continue placing the blame on Lyarra. However, before she could open her mouth to do so a surprising defender of Lyarra spoke up.

"No father..."Sansa stated softly, yet it was still heard by many. Lord Stark stared at his eldest daughter as surprised as Jon that his most southern child had spoken up, before turning to Wife, seeing her face twist in disbelief. " Lyarra did nothing to encourage the stable boy...I ... The only time she spoke to him was when he tried to harass Janey. That day... I went to the stables to see Starling and overheard crying. When I got closer to the door I saw it was Jayne, she was begging the stable boy to let her leave. I...I wanted to help her father but I was so afraid, I couldn't move. But, Lyarra came and said, she would take his eyes, if she so much as caught him looking at her or any girl for too long and left. That's when the stable boy started muttering about how he would be the one to take from her very soon and Lord Domeric heard him."

Lady Stark gaped in shock, and Robb uttered some curses, but perhaps the worst for father and house Stark as a whole was the silence that came from the rest of the yard. Jon saw fathers eyes shift to their surroundings and chanced a glance around to those that stood by watching, only to see the knowing unsurprised looks father was noticing.

That perhaps more than anything startled Jon. He had thought no one outside his siblings had known of the stable boys and Lady Stark lies, after all, his father hadn't and Jon had assumed it was because no one had spoken up on his sisters behalf. Instead he was finding himself very misinformed, his father it seemed, had believed the words of the stable boy and Lady Stark without even attempting to gather any other information from others to discern truth from lie and that in Jon's eyes made him even worse then his Lady wife. He took satisfaction on the fact that those around them looked at his father and Lady Stark with contempt and disappointment he now felt.

"My lord," Lady Stark tried to speak up." I didn't k—"

His father frowned at lady Stark before he waved a hand at her cutting off her before she could speak further words, "You will be silent wife. We will speak, later." he stressed.

Jon watched the interplay, silently glaring at Lady Stark, unlike before he was not in the least bit cowed by her. The trout had lied about his twin encouraging the cunt who had been planning to rape her and Lyarra had suffered ten lashes for it and now she had just struck his youngest sister and Jon refused to give an inch of ground for the fucking trout to stand on. So what if he was a Bastard and she a Lady.

Lyarra had been right status and birth were not the measure of ones worth or purity. "Honor and morality are not contingent on someone's status in life Jonny, they hinge on the actual person and their choices". She had told Jon in one of their mainy arguments about his plans to join the night watch.

"Father,"Bran's quiet voice breaks through, "Lya not gone right, she's just hiding. She hasn't run away. Right father ? Lyarra wouldn't run from anything or anyone, she's braver then any knight. If she was going to leave, she would have told us so right."

Father is quiet for a long time.

Jon stays silent and still, his hands clasped behind his back while fuming Robb, pale and shaken Sansa, silently crying Arya and clearly frightened Bran stand with their arms by their sides. He does not doubt a solid five minutes pass before he finally speaks again.

" Do you know where she is Jon?"

"No." Jon says and nothing else.

Jon has stoped talking to his father ever since he refused to listen Jon about Lyarra not having done anything to encourage the stable boy's attentions. He obeys a direct command from the Lord of Winterfell and speaks when spoken to, but nothing more and nothing less. Grey eyes bore into his and Jon can see his father is trying to analyze him.

If only he had put as much effort in uncovering truth from lie about Lyarra would be attacker .

Lyarra had not been surprised at their Fathers refusal to hear him and asked him to stop trying. She has never had a particularly close relationship with their father. It strikes Jon suddenly, however, that he too is weary and tired of his father now and doesn't wish to be in his presence as he once did.

Jon can see the second he gives up any attempt of discerning wether Jon is lying or not, his eyes closing and the lines surrounding them getting deeper.

Then things got even tenser, because Jon's head suddenly felt like someone had taken a sharp dagger embed in his head, he screamed in pain, clapped his hand to his forehead and toppled to the ground. His eyes was bleeding. He was convulsing.

He gritted his teeth and pushed past the pain and forced his eyes snap open, but he could see nothing but a strange wash of blue, red, and beige above him. His vision was hazy. He was vaguely aware that he was lying on his back, though he was sure that he'd fallen…

He saw a feild of winter roses, snow flakes fall from the sky onto the blue petals.

He saw his sisters falling from her horse.

He saw her go limp, unmoving and bleeding in the snow.

Jon gasped in fear for his twin.

LYARRA!

"Jon!"

"Jon!"

His vision blurs again, his sisters lifeless body fades away and all he sees are smears of red and beige again which slowly sharpened into the familiar face of Robb leaning over him. He had a relived smile on his face. "Oh thank the gods you're alright!"

"What just happened?" he asked weakly, moving to push himself to a sitting position. Robb had to quickly move back to avoid having their faces bump into each other. They surrounded by family and servants. Their Father and Arya, looking at him with no small amount of concern on their faces.

"You fell, it looked as if you were having a seizure," Robb replied and Jon could see genuine worry behind those blue eyes.

"I—what?"

"Did the fall turn you into an imbecile Snow?" Theon Greyjoy snorted from his place at Robbs side.

Grey eyes snapped to the ward of the Starks, narrowing into slits of chilled ice. The word Traitor echoed in his head and Jon itched with a sudden desire to hurt Greyjoy and he didn't know why he burned with the desire to inflict a world of hurt upon the other boy.

Greyjoy must have seen something in Jons expression too because he stiffened, a touch of hesitation flashing across his face, as if he'd sensed something of Jon's mood.

His father blocked his view of the Greyjoy ward before anything else could transpire, still on one knee and holding out a hand, "Are you feeling alright, Jon?"

His voice was soft, his expression gentle In a way he had not seen in months. Jon couldn't understand why his father showed concern for him and non for Lyarra. Dazedly he ignored the hand, and sat himself up into a sitting position so he was no longer lying in the snow.

"Give the boy a minute," Master said with a hint of worry in his voice, " He may need a moment to get orientated. It looked like he hit his head pretty hard on the way down. He may have a concussion."

And then they all began talking at once, about what Jon knew not his mind trying to grasp at something important, he felt was just out his reach.

The only ones who didn't speak was his Father Who's hand was still outstretched as if to reach him. His face marred by grief so deep that Jon almost apologised for not taking his hand when he offered it. But then he recalles

how his father hadn't offered his hand to Lyarra when-

And suddenly, he knew what he had forgotten.

Lyarra!

_GO! NOW! Or It will be to late to save her, Jon Snow, GO! _a voice whispered in his ear.

His head was pounding, but he gritted his teeth through the pain and jumped instantly to his feet.

He pushed past Robb, grabbed the reigns of a near by horse and hoisted himself up in one fluid motion. His body moved almost automatically, because somewhere in the back of his scattered mind, he knew what he had to do. He turned his horse on the direction of the Gods Woods, and stirred him into a gallop.

"Jon where are you going?" he heard Arya's voice as he rod past her.

"STOP, JON!" Father called, and for once Jon ignored a direct command from the lord of Winterfell.

Faster and faster Jon pushed his horse through the woods his heart racing, He felt branches brush against his chest and sides, some even scratched his face and yet he never let up, never slowed down, one thought, one sense prevalent in his mind, I must get to her. Despair like he had never felt threatened to consume him, but not once did he stop or falter in his path, some higher power guided him.

How long he rode he didn't know, but his stallion never faltered and eventually Jon finally allowed his horse to slow again when they neared the clearing in which he had seen his sister fall..

He dismounted silently and swiftly unable to see through the snowfall. He heard his father's company ride up behind him, but that was not where his focus lay.

He waded through the snow to where he trying desperately to locate his sister, when Jon finally found her, he wanted to puke. Blood stains his sister face and clothes, soaking into the snow around her just like in his vision.

Fear froze him for merely a minute before ran over to his twin. Her eyes were closed but moving frantically under her eyelids, and small moans of pain escaped Lyarra's lips when Jon reached her, showing that she was at least still alive.

"Lya, Lyarra can you hear me?" He asked, cradling her head in his hands. No response.

"Lyarra!" Jon tried again, this time giving his twin a rough shake to try to rouse her. All he received however was a cry of pain.

"Ok. Ok. I'm sorry Lya, I won't do that again."he breathed, trying not to let the fear growing inside him take over. Taking a deep breath, he looked up and saw his father Carefully inching nearer, one slow step after the other. Damn it, what do i do? What do I do Lya, wake up please, tell me what to do?"

"Jon, are you there?" he heard a voice call out.

"Jon." it said louder." and his twin wimped in pain, he leaned forward and pressed his forehead to his twins and she calmed somewhat.

"Over here, come quickly." Jon said looking at his surroundings for any sigh of his sisters attacker.

Pretty soon he was joined by His father, Ser Rodrick, Jory, Robb and surprisingly enough four castle guards, none of whom looked happy.

"Jon, why did you run off like that?" his father asked and right now couldn't care less about the concern in his expression.

It took an eternity for his father to close the space between them, when he was close enough to see Lyarra unconscious and bleeding in his arms he ran and dropped instantly to his knees before them.

"Lya open eyes! Open your eyes Lya!" He then turned grey eyes wild with panic" what happened to her Jon!"

"I don't know! ", he whispered hoarsely, nearly growling the words, both angry and relieved he was there. "... she won't wake up...I !"

When father tried to remove Lyarra from him by grasping her shoulders, Jon tried to crawl away from him, refusing to let go of his twin. Hadn't the lord of winterfell proven himself untrustworthy when it come to the well being of his twin.

"Son", he spoke softly , "Son, listen to me. You need to let go of your sister son. We need to take her to Master Luwin. "

It didn´t seem to have the effect his father was hoping for, the idea of her needing Master Luwins help, only increased his panic.

"Jon!", he tried again, hoping that the use of his name would calm him, " your sister is unconscious and bleeding far to much, you need to let go now or we may loose her!"

Slowly,Jon unclenched his fingers from the bloody material of his twins cloak and allowed their father to take her from him.

"Fathe…Lord Stark", He whispered, "Master Luwin will save her won't he?"

His father flinched as if struck at the formal address, when lifted his eyes to fathers and the lord of Winterfell looked away from, unwilling to meet his eyes. "He'll try Jon."

Jon looked away from his father in disappointment once again but heard him turn and address those who had accompanied him.

"I want all of you to check the area for signs of an attack. Jory, I want your to ride back to Winterfell and inform Maester Luwin of what happened so he can be ready when we get there, and Robb," he said, finely addressing his brother who looked pale as death with fear, eyes fixed on Lyarras prone form, but stood up straight when father addressed him.

I need you and Jon to be strong and help me get Lyarra back to The castle, can you two do that?"

"Yes father," Robb answered, nodding shakily.

Jon nodes as well." Yes Lord Stark!"

"Alright, then go," he ordered his men.

All the men went about their separate tasks, Jory and four others remounted their horses and rode back to the castle while the rest went off into the woods to look for any sign of trouble.

"Lyarra," Jon herd Father whisper softly, trying like Jon had to rose his twin from her unconscious state, Jon hoped his sister would hear fathers voice and respond. "Lyarra love I need you to try and wake for me, open those eyes for me, alright can you do that? " A soft wimpier escaped Lyarra after, but her eyes remained closed. Jon wasn't sure if that was a response or Lyarra just being in pain. Either way, it was not good enough for his father because he turned to them swiftly.

"Alright," Ned sighed, looking up. "Jon, I want you to help me lift lyarra up, " Then, as an afterthought, "Robb" he addressed his eldest son now. "You're going to help Jon lift her up and give her to me once I get on my horse. Make sure you don't jolt her to much it may damage her spin and cripple her, do you understand boys."

Both him and Robb nodded mutely.

"On three Jon," he said, turning back to Lyarra Father reached an arm under her, motioning for Jon to do the same, and secured a hold so that lifting his twin wouldn't cause her too much pain.

"One, two, three," Father counted off, hoisting up the limp Lyarra with Jons's help.

Lyarra cried out at once, making Jon wince and Robb swear loudly.

"Robb," he cried out. "Now!"

Robb rushed forward and took their sister in his arms, freeing Father so he could mount his ride. Father quickly climbed onto his horse and held out his arms for Lyarra.

Jon, with the assistance of Robb, helped Lyarra up into fathers arms, where father tried to position her gently against his chest so he wouldn't cause her more pain. More groans escaped from his sisters cracked lips, making Jon wince. Forcing his gaze away from their injured sister, Jon and Robb both clime their own rides and flicked the rains on their horse after their father, causing them to jerk forward and rush through the woods.

They had to get back to Winterfell as soon as they could. He would not lose his twin.

Losing Lyarra so would destroy him.

If his sister died Jon would _Never_ forgive his father, for the things he had done and not done.

Never!

888

A/N: Thanks again to all following this story. sorry my update was a few days later then i planed. But, please let me know what you think of the story so far, i would love to know if the storyline seems to unrealistic. i can get a bit carried away some times.


	4. Chapter 4

Jon, with the assistance of Robb, helped Lyarra up into fathers arms, where father tried to position her gently against his chest so he wouldn't cause her more pain. More groans escaped from his sisters cracked lips, making Jon wince. Forcing his gaze away from their injured sister, Jon and Robb both clime their own rides and flicked the rains on their horse after their father, causing them to jerk forward and rush through the woods.

They had to get back to Winterfell as soon as they could. He would not lose his twin.

Losing Lyarra so would destroy him.

If his sister died Jon would Never forgive his father, for the things he had done and not done.

Never!

888

**_La Petite Mort_**

Ned Stark had never been more pleased to be within the walls of Winterfell at long last.

The hectic ride back to the castle had been a silent and tense one, both of boys in shock and his niece to all appearances on the verge of death.

Catelyn and his children waiting for him, exactly where he had left them in the yard. Jory and Maester Luwin too, the old man checked over their party, eyes searching and stoping on Lyarra with love and fear plain for all to see in every line of his aged face. Ned had known the Master was fond of Lyarra, but it seemed he had severally underestimated just how dear his niece had become to the old Master.

As soon as he was with in reach Maester Luwin immediately took Lyarra's wrist in his hand as soon as Ned dismounted " Her pulse is much too weak Lord Stark we must take her into my study and set to work right away!"

Without another word the Maester and Ned turned in the direction of the tower, he brushed passed Catelyn with a brusque, 'Not now.' refusing to acknowledge his wife otherwise.

Ned banged into Mester Luwind' quarters, fizzling anger dowsed by a chill of fear when, despite being jostled by movement, Lyarra's eyes still remained stubbornly shut.

Jon and Robb following him through the door close on his heels.

'What can I do?' Jon asked.

It was only Luwin's aeons of experience that allowed him to swallow his own concern at the sight of Lyarra's bloodied head flopping backwards against Lord Starks's shoulders, and immediately immerse himself in practicalities - moving books and scrolls from the large centre table, that once cleared was covered with a large clean peace of cloth , whilst replying to Jon.

'Clean water and cloths, please. Over there Jon by the window and in the left cabinet my boy.'

Ned laid the motionless figure of his niece on the bed.

'There are no other injuries as far I can tell, only the head wound, I think she fell from her horse. But she won't wake,' Ned informed the Maester tersely.

Luwin nodded. The succinct explanation was all he needed.

"She's getting hotter," he whispered, hands shaking as he used the wet cloth handed to him by Jon to clean the blood on her forehead.

"Him? Liffrea, wuldres wealdend, woroldare forgeaf," Lyarra muttered all of a sudden. Her voice was choked, the words so difficult to speak but it appeared as though she couldn't hold them back.

Ned paused to look at his Maester. "What language is that?"

Luwins' eyes widened. "None," he lied. "A fever's seems to be taking hold. None of those words are her own."

'Light a lamp and bring it here please Lord Stark.'

Ned did so without question back in seconds with a candle sputtering its illumination from inside a lantern.

'Closer,' Luwin ordered.

He bent over Lyarra and pulled back one delicate eyelid, the sudden gasp and stiffing of his Maester poster somewhat doing nothing to sooth to Ned's frazzled nerves.

"What is it? What's wrong ?" Ned demand instantly stepping forward to check on his niece only to have his path blocked by the Master.

'It's nothing Lord Stark l...I'm simply concerned the bleeding from her eyes means she may suffer from impaired vision when she wakes up,' he said, dismissing Ned and the lamp he was holding with an imperious wave of his hand. In the sick room he was undisputed monarch

'Do you need anything else?' Ned asked, feeling out of place now that he had no task.

'No, i must ask you to leave Lord Stark. And Lord Robb too.' Luwin replied without taking his eyes off Lyarra." I need to concentrate and I can't do that with all of you here. Please wait outside."

"Jon—"Ned started expecting some form of resistance from his nephew but found him staring at Master Luwin with panicked expression.

"Jon will stay in case Lyarra wakes and panics."Master Luwin said his hand clapping down on Jons shoulder as if to keep him in place.

Then he and Robb were all but thrown out of his Master study, and as the door slammed in his face Ned couldn't shake the feeling there was something both Master and nephew were keeping from him.

He looked away from the shut door and was surprised when he met the eyes of his wife.

Prying his eyes away from her, Ned swallowed down the fury that threatened to spill forth from him.

He moved away from the door his movements deliberate and controlled as he kept in mind Robbs presence, he came to stand in front of His wife. She stood there pale and trembling. Deep down, he wanted to reach out and grab Cat, shake her in his rage and frustration, but he would not do such a thing in front of his son.

"My Lord?" Cat's voice trembled with nervousness he could see in the way her eyes pinched. Gone was all of her pride, all that was left was an old woman. The lines on her face stood out, making her look gaunt, gone was the indigent women who struck Arya near hours ago. Her emotions were laid bare in front of him.

But he still couldn't go easy on her.

As lady of Winterfell, as mother to his children, his wife had committed many mistakes. Too many wrongs to simply be swept under the carpet. He had to show her, her mistakes. Her errors of judgment.

But how did he go about showing her the error of her ways when he could not even face his own.

How was he to admit to the truth that recent events have made impossible to ignore.

He had made a promise, and gods damn him he had broken it.

His own missteps with Lyarra boiled down to his unresolved anger towards his sister and The Dragon Prince she'd chosen over her family. His emotions had clouded his judgment and his niece now lay injured and bleeding because of it.

The truth was he had always blamed his wild sister.

For not doing her duty.

For fathers and Brandon's deaths.

For forcing him to make promises he did not wish to make.

For Benjen joining the Nights Watch.

He had been saddened by her death, no matter how foolish she had been, she was still his blood, but above all he had been angered by it, by the truth she had placed in his arms.

The truth was.

He hated his sister as much as he had loved her.

He had transferred those feelings onto his niece it seemed.

He loved and hated how much Lyarra was like her mother.

And he loved and hated how much she was not like her mother.

When Rhaegar Targaryen laid with his Sister, of the two twins that came from her womb, it was the male babe, Jon who was born with grey eyes and black hair and not a hint of silver and purple. 'Twas The Stark's blood that ran true, and gave him a face and a nature more Stark than any of Ned own trueborn children.

The same could not be said of the female babe.

He had tested them both on his long journey back to winterfell.

Jon had burned

Lyarra had not.

Lyarra possessed a great deal of Lyanna beauty. Both possessed the long face of the Starks, both had fair skin, both were of slender figures and long limbs despite being small in stature.

But where Lyanna's hair had been fine and disobediently wavy brown, like that of Arya's.

Lyarra's and Jon's hair was a cloud of nearly black curls as thick as marsh grass.

His sister had been fair-skinned, but bore a spray of freckles over her nose and a hint of tan around her cheekbones. Lyarra's skin was so fair it was as if it had never seen the sun rise upon it.

Lyanna mouth had been finely shaped, but thin. Lyarra's was full and sensual over a sharper chin and higher cheekbones and a more delicate nose.

However where Ned recalled Lyanna as being a wild she wolf who cheered and waved at the Tourney fighters and who was by turns angry, sullen, or whirling about with laughter, blunt with her thoughts and free with her emotions.

Lyarra while wild too, was so in a silent self-contained way, like lightning in a clear blue sky, Lyarra was Whip smart and silver tongued. Unexpected and Deadly. His niece was all bared teeth and sharp claws and nonexistent, never making a sound without purpose and as silent as the night when she does not want to be found. There is an intensity, a sort of power, to her that sets everyone on edge, that Lyanna never possessed .

In short, his niece was the embodiment of Ned's grief and it had led him to keeping his niece at arms length in a way he had never done with Jon. He had been confident that while his Lady wife would never be kind to his niece, she would at least be fair as Lyarra was not threat to Robb the way she preserved Jon to be.

Looking at his wife now. He was for the first time uncertain if he had done the right In placing such trust in her. When Catelyn had told him of the trouble Lyarra caused between Domeric Bolton and Lock the stable boy, he assumed she had done as he would have and questioned everyone involved and had reports from others of Lyarra's misconduct. He had never dreamed she would let her anger at his lie about Jon and Lyarra being his bastards turn her eyes from finding the truth and too outright lie to him? Would she really be that petty?

Ned realised he couldn't approach her as her husband now if he wanted to get to the truth of things, he needed to be the Lord of Winterfell now.

"What were you thinking, My Lady?" he demanded angrily.

Her trembling increased, "My lord?" she repeated in a timid voice.

"What madness possessed you? You lied too me! You lead me to believe things of Lyarra that we're not true!" Ned lamented angrily. "You had her whipped. And for what?"

Cat swallowed skittishly, "I am sorry my lord... but I told you many times that she's a Bastard, their sinful, even if you refuse to see it, her conduct has never been that of a Lady."

"Are you really placing the blame on Lyarra simply for the circumstance of her birth?" Ned demanded, eyes narrowing in exasperation at her shortsightedness. " Is this how you would explain your duplicity, your lies?"

Cat couldn't meet his eyes and gazed downwards in shame. He reached out, grabbing her chin and forced her to meet his gaze. Her face turned red, she tried to flinch away from his implacable eyes, but he kept her still.

"Father..."Robb was looking at him with wide eyes to his side as if he feared what Ned would do.

Finally after a long tense moment, he let go of wife's chin and stepped away, pacing back and forth in front of the harth of the tower.

"Forgive me my lord...I did not think," she eventually stammered in contrition and soon after rage." I let my anger at your betrayal get the better of me!"

He stopped pacing and turned back to her, bitter rage consumed him.

"No...no, you did not think." he replied darkly, "And it is a recurring issue with you." he paused and glared at her, "It is ironic that you hold my betrayal of my vows against me when you yourself begun our marriage in duty, clearly wishing it was my brother who'd lived to wed you, despite all the years I have remained faithfully yours. After all these years together I see that you are still a Southern Lady. You have not embraced the North as I once thought. From the Sept to the raising of our daughters and your treatment of Jon and Lyarra...you have not grasped the way of the North."

Cat frowned, "Ned...that is too far. I know I made some mistakes-"

"Some mistakes?!" roared Ned angrily. "You lied to me! You made me dismiss the son of my most dangerous Bannerman! Your words had me simply dismiss a would be rapist from our service without punishment, when as per the law he should have been executed or sentenced to the wall! He should not have been released...now who knows what crimes he may commit, who else's he might harm! As of now, the entire castle knew of the incident. Whether in detail or not, it doesn't matter. Word will get out that The Lord of winterfell couldn't protect his own blood. And that his child's would be assailant was aided by his own wife in escaping justice!"

Cat went white as a sheet and stilled.

Ned continued his tirade unabated, "what you have done is considered as offensive as kin slaying by the people of the north," Lord Stark informed his gapping wife coldly. "You undermanned my rule! And we will all suffer for it, Robb especially as my heir."

Ned stopped and rubbed his face, trying to clear his head as Cat stood still, not daring to utter another word in the face of his raging temper and harsh truths. He felt the wolfsblood burning in him, he rarely let it out. An idle part of his thoughts turned to his sister, Lyanna. The wolfsblood had been too strong there, he thought mournfully. He controlled his rising ire and turned back to his wife.

Before anything else could be said however, the sound of a bolt stump moving and the door opening heralded another person's arrival. The Lord and Lady of Winterfell looked up just in time to see Maester Luwin and Jon strife into the room with a solemn look on his face.

Immediately, fear clenched Ned's heart as he prepared for the worst. "What is it Maester?"

He was about to ask after his nieces welfare, when a shaking voice of Arya from the tower entrance beat him to it. "How is she, is Lyarra going to be ok?"

He looked to his Youngest daughter and saw Bran and Sansa were with her, tears streaming down all their face as they waited for news of her favourite sisters condition. Ned reached out to hold her close as she wept only to have her push him away run to Jon.

Even Sansa and Bran ignored his and their mothers attempt to comfort them.

"She'll live," the Maester said to Arya, letting Ned have the opportunity to breathe a deep sigh of relief. "But she has still not woken up and while that worries me my Lord, I'm afraid the only thing we can do is wait for her to do so."

Jon at his side remains silent and eyes them coldly.

His boy was making an effort to appeare calm but Ned could see an underlying anger swimming in his eyes and his posture was stiff.

"How did this happen Jon?" Ned asked, paced the stretch of room in his solar with growing agitation. "What happen to you earlier in the yard? How did you know she was was in trouble?

"I just did Lord Stark, its hard to explain. Suddenly I felt Lyarra was in trouble, Then there was a crippling pain in my head."

"Felt? How did you know where she was in the Wolfswood?" Ned looked at his son curiously now.

"I don't know," his son said, his voice nearly cracking with emotion. "One moment I was here in in the castle with all of you, and the next, I was in the clearing, I heard her scream, and saw her fall from her horse. Then I was back in winterfell again. I didn't know if what I saw was real or hallucination but, I needed to find her just in case. I didn't have time to sit around and explain it to you and I doubt you would have listened anyway."he recounted.

"By the time I got to her, there was blood everywhere. I didn't see anything else. I swear Lord Stark."

"Nothing else Jon, are you sure? No sign of an assailant? A knife, or an arrow?" Ned asked cautiously. Jon only shook his head. Ned let out a sigh, pinching the bridge of his nose in frustration.

"Why would someone attack Lyarra father?" Robb asked suddenly.

Ned looked up to see his sons face contorted in confusion and worry, a look not right on a face so young.

A long moment of silence passed before Ned managed to answer. "I don't know son."

His response however didn't seem to please Robb.

The boy narrowed his eyes slightly at his father, as if doubting his words, but remained silent. There was still a near palpable tension in the room it seemed, which non of them knew how to address. So, after a moment's consideration on his part, Robb move forward and went to stand with his siblings.

"Aaaaaaarrrgh!"

A sudden, ghastly sound interrupted him, and it took Ned a moment to realize that it was his niece screaming, the terrible sound sent him back to the Tower of Joy. Heart ready to burst in his chest he was instantly to his feet and he stormed into the Maester study, to find the past playing it self on repeat, his niece the mirror of her mother bathed in blood, pale and weak, her breathing, barely noticeable,but for the slight rise and fall of her chest and a rasping, choking sound, coming in sobs, that became unbearable to Neds ears in its painful intensity.

"What is happening with her?" Arya asked, standing helpless by his side.

Lyarra's limbs wakened to sudden, jerky movements, her whole body convulsing as if invisible fists were punching her. Ned had seen all this before, thirteen years ago when he had found his sister dying, and he had hoped that he would never have to see it again.

The choking sound increased, pulsing with her wild movements, until Ned had to clench his hands into tight fist to stop them from covering his ears.

"She's having a seizure," Maester cried out, trying to stop her flailing arms and legs. "Lord Stark, help me. LORD STARK!"

Ned shock himself from his stumper and tried to help his master to keep her body from thrashing and the tender wounds from breaking open again, but Lyarra's body convulsed and she pushed them away with inhuman strength that left the Lord of Winterfell stunned, he look to his master and Jon in shock, but neither would meet his eyes. Suddenly, Lyarra's back arched up impossibly high, her face lost the last of its colour and she gave one last, sobbing gasp. Then, she went deadly still.

"We're losing her," Luwin cried out, and this time, there was real panic in his voice.

His boney fingers raising one eye lid and checking her pulse. Even from several feet away where his niece had thrown him, Ned could see with terribly clarity that she wasn't breathing, her skin like marble and her hair like dead, dry twigs.

One moment Jon had been standing next to Ned, the next second he was by Lyarra's side,

"No!" He said, and then his anger suddenly seemed to explode. His boy looked like he was passed by something inhuman he couldn't control "Lyarra," He shouted, his voice sharp like a knife. Ned tried to approach, but his boys eyes glittered like dragonglass; black and reptilian more like what an animals should do than a person's stopping him in his tacks "Stay away from her!" Those pitch black eyes moved back to his twins"Lyarra, the Gods damn you!"

"Jon, there is nothing we can do," Master Luwin whispered, trying to reach out for him, but he shrugged his hand away without even looking at him, all of him concentrated on the lifeless body of his twin. "Away, I said!"

And he slapped Lyarra in the face, hard. Arya cried out, and Robb rushed over, but a movement of Jon's hand sent him flying backwards onto the floor..

He slapped her again. "Get a grip on yourself, Lyarra," He shouted, no, howled at her, his anger as terrible as a sudden and consuming as wildfire. "This is just a scratch! Are you such a coward that you give up like that? Lyarra, listen to me, god damn you!" Another slap.

"Ned, I really don't think…" His wife said, helplessly staring at him and then at the boy that had obviously gone mad with pain.

"Be Quiet You Foul loathsome Pathetic Trout! This Is Your Fault!," Jon shouted, and such power was in his voice that the room fell silent completely.

Ned watched as his wife took a hasty step away from his boy, white with shock, but Jon's attention had already returned to his Twin.

"Wake up," he commanded her again "Is this the strength you boast to me about, Lyarra? This is nothing! You are being weak, pathetic! Open your eyes, gods damn you! Open your bloody eyes or I will rip them from your skull!"

Nothing but silence in the room, the laboured breathing of Jon and the muffled sobs of Bran, Arya and Sansa.

Then, when his boy had already started to turn away in defeat, a tired voice, raspy and hoarse, made them gasp in shock and him whirl around.

"Fuck you, Jon," Lyarra whispered, and cracked her eyes open in a silent show of unbelievable strength.

888

A/N: As always thanks to those who've read and especially those who've reviewed.

There were a couple of questions asked in the reviews so i tried to answer some in this chapter. For those I didn't.

TheDarkSkyKnight: This chapter I think answers almost all of your questions. The stable boy/Man was Lock and he went on to become Ramsy henchman like in the show, you know the guy who chopped Jamie's hand off.

Neseryn: The Lannister Brothers will play a huge role in this story. But it will be at least 2 or three chapters yet before we see them.

Arianna Le Fay: The love between Jon and Lyarra is strong. But it's a sibling love only. So no, I'm sorry they will not be the endgame. I hope you continue to read my story nonetheless.

Amilia, Lydia, Iris and Guests: Thank you all for your reviews. I hope my new chapter doesn't disappoint you.


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